tches fire. In a few moments an immense conflagration
spreads through the crowds of revellers, which would have ended in a
terrible catastrophe (such as had actually happened at the French court
shortly before Goethe wrote this scene, and such as happened some
fifteen years ago in Paris at some bazaar) had not Faust with the help
of Mephistopheles extinguished the flames by the aid of magic.

The young Kaiser now demands from Faust that he shall give the court a
display of his magic arts. He commands him to raise the shades of Paris
and Helen. Faust applies to Mephisto, but he professes himself unable to
raise the shades of classical heroes and heroines. 'This heathen Greek
folk,' he says, 'have their own hell and their own devils. _I_ have no
power over them. Still--there _is_ a means.' He then tells Faust that he
will have to descend to the 'Mothers,' 'die Muetter,' mysterious deities
(mentioned by Greek authors) as worshipped in Sicily and dwelling in the
inmost depths of the universe, at the very heart of Nature, beyond the
conditions of Time and Space. He who will raise the shade of Helen, or
ideal beauty, must descend first to the 'Mothers'--must enter the realm
of the spiritual, the unconditioned, the ideal, to which there is no
defined road, and to which even _thought_ cannot guide him. He must
surrender himself in _contemplation_ and sink to the very centre of the
world of appearances. Mephistopheles gives Faust a key, which glows and
emits flames as he grasps it. Holding this key he will sink down to the
realm of the Mothers, where he will find a glowing tripod (the symbol
of that Triad or Trinity which plays so large a part in the old
Pythagorean philosophy and in more than one religion). This tripod he is
to touch with the key, and it will rise with him to the surface of the
earth.

The imperial court is assembled. A stage has been erected. The court
astrologer announces the play and Mephistopheles is installed in the
prompter's box. All is in expectation and excitement. Then on the stage
is seen rising from the ground the form of Faust attended by the tripod.
He touches the tripod with the glowing key. A dense mist of incense
arises, and as it clears away is seen--Paris. His appearance is greeted
by the enthusiastic comments of the court ladies, young and old, and
criticized by the men courtiers--with evident jealousy. Helen then
appears, and the comments and criticisms are reversed, female jealousy
now ha